http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/amanda100786/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from amanda100786 en-us Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:39:03 +0000 Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:39:03 +0000 So AH I can't believe this has gone by so quickly. I feel like I just got off the plane and saw my little room for the first time. Now it looks like it did before I put stuff on the walls pretty bare and pretty boring. Anyways Dad was here He had a rough trip here but we got to Uluru without any problems and had a really relaxing time. We both got hot stone massages heaven watched the s http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/blog-292849.html Hey EveryoneI'm super busy with assignments but I thought I'd quickly update on last weekend. We went to Surfer's Paradise and stayed at Griffith University with Nichole's friend Erica. Griffith was a really nice campus it looked very new.None of us slept the night before because we had a 430am taxi and a 6am flight into Brisbane. Our flight went well but when we got into the Brisbane airport it http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Surfers-Paradise/blog-285455.html Hey everyone Mom and Barry have left me and they are now safe and enjoying the last leg of their trip in New Zealand. We had a great trip. They said a fair bit away from where I go to school but we were able to work it out. They got in Thursday night and I saw them Friday. I met them at Federation Square and took them to Queen Victoria Market. We shopped around a little and after some thought http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Victoria/Melbourne/blog-279983.html This past weekend I flew to Sydney to meet up with Mom and Barry I had to take a taxi at 530am the night after Suitcase Ball that was rough. But I got to the airport fine and with plenty of time to sleep a little near my gate. I had a nasty headache and tried to sleep it off on the plane as well. I landed on time and waited to hear from Mom as they were supposed to arrive before me and call me http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Sydney/blog-277118.html Hey Everyone Sorry I haven't updated in a while I've been busy with assignments We had a big Chisholm event last weekend the Suitcase Ball. It's call the suitcase ball because two people win a trip for the weekend right before we leave for the ball so they have 15 minutes to pack their bags and then they leave right from the event to their trip. Two girls won it and they were sent to Geelong http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Victoria/Melbourne/blog-277093.html Hi GuysI haven't updated in quite some time mostly because I've been spending a lot of my time on assignments. I have 6 due within the next month or so 3 of them are this coming week AHHHH It's stressful but hopefully I can make it through. I think I'll be alright. Yesterday I couldn't get myself out of bed I felt terrible. My whole body ached and my back hurt and it was really unpleasant. http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Victoria/Melbourne/blog-272225.html Hi EveryoneThis past weekend my friends Nichole Brenna Woody and Smidie and I went to Smidie's parents beach house in Anglesea. Anglesea is right by the beginning of the Great Ocean Road. We got up there Friday night watched a footy game on TV then went to bed kind of early. TOO BAD I COULDN'T SLEEP THOUGH. Woody snores and talks in his sleep LOUDLY. It was a while before I could fall asleep http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Victoria/Anglesea/blog-268462.html Yesterday Saturday Nichole my friend Matt and myself went on a day trip to Phillip Island. I don't have any pictures of Phillip Island itself because we weren't allowed to take them but I have pictures of all the other stuff we did. We got into the city grabbed a quick breakfast and loaded onto the bus at around 11. Our first stop was a wildlife park called Maru which was still on the mainlan http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Victoria/Philip-Island/blog-265833.html I HAVE FOUND A SPORT TO BE OBSESSED WITHLast week my friend Smidie took me and Nichole to an Australian Rules Football AFL game. It's also called footy. We went to the Melbourne Cricket Ground MCG to see the Essendon Bombers play Carlton. People were screaming and yelling all around us lots of cursing haha There were 65000 people there and it was amazing I still don't know a lot of the ru http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Victoria/Melbourne/MCG/blog-265814.html Hi I've been putting this off because there is so much to say After our wine tour we stayed in the city in a hostel for the night and got up super early to go on our 3 day Great Ocean RoadGrampians tour. Our tour guide Bernie picked us up in the city around 730am. Once everyone was picked up I realized we had a mini United Nations in our little bus. 3 Americans 2 Brits 2 Polish 2 Spanis http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Victoria/Great-Ocean-Road/blog-261197.html On Saturday Nichole Brenna and I went on a wine tour through the Yarra Valley It was an amazing day and I can't wait to do it again when Mom and Barry come to visit We loaded onto the bus in the city around 930am and headed out to the valley. Our tour guide's name was Richard and he played really good music on the ride to the valley. He played Hotel California the live version...the BEST ver http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Victoria/Yarra-Valley/Wineries/blog-260183.html Hey Everyone So I did a bunch of stuff this weekend that I NEVER would have done I'm proud of myself A bunch of us joined the Mountaineering Club and went on their big weekend. which means we go camping for a weekend in the Yarra Valley area and do a bunch of outdoorsy campy things. It was definitely a challenge....especially with my minor fear of heights. We got there Friday evening and set http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Victoria/Yarra-Valley/blog-256910.html Hi everyone On Saturday Nichole Brenna and I went to the city to check out Fitzroy Gardens. I've made a habit of going through my travel book and ticking the places I want to see then we figure out a place we all want to see and at the end of the day I can check off a place in my book Fitzroy was on that list so that's where we headed this weekend. It was beautiful For all you Richmond people http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Victoria/Melbourne/blog-254543.html Hey everyone I FINALLY have internet in my room If you have Skype feel free to contact me If you have a webcam we can even see each other I talked to Mom on Skype and also Dad today so it was nice to see them as well as talk to them. I'm settling into classes fine and reminding myself everyday that I'm here to STUDY abroad and not go explore all the nook and crannies of this place all the ti http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Victoria/Melbourne/blog-252895.html Hi Everyone STILL no internet in my room It's coming along slowly but it's definitely going to be a process. Sorry I promise that as soon as I get internet pictures will be up and updates will be sent outWe had OWeek orientation week last week and they had stuff planned for us every day. I'll give you a few highlights. Porter's Challenge We ended up having to run around all of the other http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Victoria/Melbourne/blog-250173.html I'm here So much to tell but I'm not sure how much time I have. I won't have internet in my room until next Tuesday agh so I'm in the library at the moment trying to catch up on everything before I head out again. I guess I'll start from the beginning.My flight out of LA was really long. haha. I sat next to an older couple named Tony and Joyce that were really sweet and made it a little more http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Victoria/Melbourne/blog-244966.html I was in Richmond for the last time this past weekend and said goodbye to most of my friends. It was bittersweet but we had a lot of fun. Friday night everyone went out to dinner to one of my favorite places Cous Cous yum and enjoyed a good meditteranean meal. I learned how to make indian food banana pancakes played some Guitar Hero got lots of hugs and relaxed....AND I made it through http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Virginia/blog-240528.html I thought I would go ahead and get started before I actually leave so I can get into the groove of this. I leave for Australia in exactly one month and 4 days. The way things have been going lately that's going to go by extremely fast. I'm so excited but at the same time I feel like part of me isn't ready. This whole studying abroad thing started out as a bit of a whim. I decided one day that I http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/blog-231406.html